Meet Joyce McLeod Henley

I'd like you to know a little about me because I think it's an important part of how you select the psychotherapist with whom you choose to work. My road to becoming a therapist may not have been your typical one. When I graduated with my BA in Spanish with a teaching certificate for Spanish and French, there were no jobs in that field at the time. I needed a job and found one with the state of Missouri. At that time if you had a BA and could breathe, you could get a job with Missouri Division of Family Services. (The Welfare Department).

After a year there, I was promoted to be a Protective Service Worker in child abuse and neglect. I knew very little about children and parenting and began to learn. Then I had a mother who was alcoholic and in order to help her, I had to learn about chemical dependency. I was fascinated and just drank in (no pun intended) whatever I could learn.

Then to learn more, I went to graduate school, where I learned about chemical dependency. After graduation, I went to work in in-patient treatment. That was where I learned about families and how profoundly the families of alcoholics and other dysfunctional people are affected.

At the same time, I met and married a recovering alcoholic. Interacting with his dysfunctional family, especially during a crisis, was heart wrenching for me. And I was a mature adult with resources. I decided that I absolutely had to do something to help the families. I have often said that hell can’t possibly be more painful than loving somebody who is chemically dependent or mentally ill.

In learning how to help co-dependent people, I became hooked on it.

What hooked me was that just a small amount of the right information, with a small amount of nurturing and emotional support makes a tremendous difference in their lives. In a few months, I see people go from barely surviving through an endless sea of pain to thriving and taking joy and pleasure in their new lives.

It is thrilling to be a part of their much deserved transformation. Believe it or not, we actually have some fun during part of the process.

I hope that learning this about my path to becoming a therapist is helpful to you in making your selection. Please feel free to continue exploring my website. Be sure to download my Special Report in the right column. It's filled with information that can help you starting right now.

If you would like to work with me - or even if you just want to meet me by phone, you can call me at (314) 239-7800. The phone is answered 24/7, even when the office is closed.